Numerous surgical techniques and methods currently exist to install a dental implant and prosthesis into the jawbone of a human patient. During a conventional surgical procedure, an incision is made along the gingival tissue at the implant site of the patient, a cylindrical bore is drilled into the alveolar bone, and the bore of the bone is tapped. Once the bore is fully prepared, a dental implant is positioned above the implant site and driven into the bore. A healing screw or healing cap is then placed on the coronal end of the implant, and the gingival tissue is sutured. The implant and healing cap remain within the bone for several months as osseointegration and healing occur. After this healing period, a second surgical procedure begins. During this procedure, the gingival tissue is again cut, the implant is re-exposed, and the healing cap is removed. Thereafter, an abutment is affixed onto the top of the implant and a dental prosthesis is affixed to the abutment.
This conventional surgical procedure has many disadvantages. First, during the healing stage while the implant integrates into the bone, a tooth or dental prosthesis will not be present at the implantation site. The patient may have an unsightly gap or otherwise unaesthetic appearance at this location. Further, in some instances, a metallic healing cap or metallic gingival cuff may be left attached to the implant while the tissue and bone heal. The cap and cuff are often visibly exposed in the mouth of the patient and present an unnatural appearance. Further yet in conventional techniques, the patient has to undergo two separate surgical procedures: an initial procedure to implant the implant and a second procedure to remove the healing cap and attach the abutment and prosthesis. Multiple surgical procedures are costly and not desirable for the patient.
Some dental implant systems and surgical techniques attempt to solve the disadvantages associated with conventional implantation procedures. These systems place a prosthetic tooth in occlusion immediately after the implant is driven and positioned in the jawbone of the patient. In this scenario, the patient has a tooth-like prosthesis immediately after the surgery, so aesthetic appearance is no longer a concern. The prosthesis, however, is left in occlusion and thus exposed to immediate loads.
This procedure has disadvantages too. Preferably, movement and disturbance of the implant should be minimal immediately after it is placed in the jawbone. If the prosthesis and attached implant experience loading too soon, then the position of the implant may rotate, loosen, or otherwise move. Such movement could adversely effect the integration and alignment of the implant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,783 (entitled “Threaded Dental Implant with a Core to Thread Ration Facilitating Immediate Loading and Method of Installation”) illustrates a dental implant system designed to immediately place and then load a dental prosthesis. As shown in FIG. 1, an implant 10 consists of an elongated unitary body having a main implant portion 12 with external threads 14 and an extended neck portion 16. One disadvantage to this system is that the implant has an elongated implant and neck portions formed from a single piece. A clinician may be required to perform significant modifications to the extended neck portion so it has the correct height or angle to receive the prosthesis. Further, the neck portion could not easily accommodate a screw-retained prosthesis, especially if the neck needed extensive modification. Further yet, the implant is loaded immediately after it is placed; and such loads, as discussed above, may move the implant or otherwise interfere with its orientation or integration. The external threads 14 on the implant further have a specific and specialized thread pattern to help improve resistance of the implant to chewing and compressive forces. This specialized thread pattern may add additional cost to the implant.
The present invention solves the problems discussed with prior methods and dental delivery systems and provides numerous advantages over these prior systems and methods.